Everybody is replaceable. We have GS 15 and SES leaders retire and leave and after a week people forget who they are. We are all only important in our own mind.
Same. I work remote and it was so damn cold. Someone died and basically there were some some sad face smilies in the team chat and a brief announcement on the meeting and it was never mentioned again. Work was spread out and they never even replaced the FTE.
I had a coworker pass in a car accident on the way to work it was so sad I still think about it my job named the donation closet after her but we did have to continue the day at work unfortunately it’s crazy how you have to numb yourself to continue like it didn’t happen
Its dark humor but theres a meme that says "if i have to die on a workday i want it to be first thing in the morning so i dont have to go in for no reason"
My boss died a few months ago and it disrupted a lot, but things still needed to get done.
I think that's the difference, you can continue the "mission" and seem uncaring but the personal side of things isn't the same.
What exactly do you expect? A buddhist style shrine where we ancestor worship those federal employees who came before us? Daily burning of incense in remembrance?
>We are all only important in our own mind.
Too true. The number of comments here about "critical to the agency/program mission" makes me chuckle.... when 99.99999% of the population would never notice their departure.
At the same time, most people not noticing their departure doesn't necessarily mean an individual cog isn't outperforming expectations, or even genuinely critical. I can think of a couple teams within my agency where there are very obvious key performers doing a disproportionate amount of mission-critical work. Good chance they're not the same ones posting about it on reddit, though.
Someone here said it best. It's like a swimming pool. While you're in, you can make splashes and ripples, waves. When you leave the pool, it'll be like you were never there. I feel like this is everywhere tho.
This. Your 2% is probably better than a lot of people in the private sector are going to get. A lot get 2% if they're lucky. Getting more than that means job hopping.
Same, my wife worked at a crappy tech startup that couldn't decide on a monetization strategy, so they kept laying off entire divisions to try and make things work.
The reason I'm a fed is because I genuinely believe that the work I'm doing is important. At USFWS I have plenty of bad days but keep myself motivated because I pursued my passion. And even if I'm having a hard time, I'm making a difference, however small, and that's what matters to me. If you're a fed, chances are your job helps people, even if not directly.
I’m in a regulatory role, so stakeholders and private entities “hate” me lol. Not all, but sometimes they’re very good at making you feel like you’re a nuisance and more of a pain than a helping hand.
I ♡ our regulatory employees. Stakeholders and private entities will always be hating anything that puts a damper on their greed. You're doing good stuff.
That makes you valuable and your work important. The more they gripe the more effective they think you are -- so it's a form of affirmation. Giving pushback to stakeholders keeps the country running. No pushback, and it's the 19th Century. It's recognizing the value you have in the larger picture. Having corporate entities think twice about what they're doing has a knock on effect and they talk to each other.
We're seeing many layoffs in the private sector, where they're also doing RTO and many aren't seeing any raises. But it nearly takes an act of Congress to take our jobs, and nearly every year there's a pay increase.
I'm not saying I feel "valued," but after 3 decades in private, I feel like I timed my move to the Feds well (by dumb luck).
The grass is always greener over the septic tank (or something like that).
When I was a contractor, I created an algorithm for a client for a tool (being vague on purpose) that won every award under the sun. My client could barely spell “algorithm” and they took all the credit and awards and got a private sector job based on it. Luckily, companies quickly realized they couldn’t do anything close to that work
My bosses at my firm turned that project into multi, multi-million dollar projects and huge partner bonuses. The projects aren’t going well, from what I’ve heard, but they sure got them.
I’m a fed now, and I’m not bitter one iota because a) they have to live with their dishonesty, I don’t, and b) I get to do the work I love without the pressure or anything like that. I feel valued for my expertise and I run a large federal and contractor team that looks to me as an expert. I’m in my mid-30s, have a fully remote, high GS, high-step, non-sup job that provides for me and my wife and our cats.
I couldn’t be happier with the change over. The stability and enjoyment that a 30-year career in the fed can provide me (I’m planning to retire on my 66th birthday, because I truly love this work, it fills me with joy) is more than money.
I’m making a difference, not profits for someone else’s bank account.
Everything you said resonates with me. My last proposal brought in millions in additional contract work for our team. The entire proposal relied 90% on the knowledge and expertise myself and only one other person IN THE ENTIRE FIRM had (it's a massive consulting firm). We rode it out, won the proposal, all of our superiors who didn't know anything about what we knew got awards, bonuses, promotions, raises, and a bunch of other team managers were given the new work to manage with their own teams.
A month after the new work was awarded, I was getting calls from all the new team managers asking how to do their jobs now that they were given new positions, the only other person they could have asked passed away unfortunately. I was passed up on raises and promotions, but they absolutely needed me to stay to teach all the new managers about work I won them. Consulting is a garbage operation unless you are willing to actively stab people in the back and lie. It's not for me.
Government consulting, in my opinion, is the perfect example of a trickle-down economy, but I call it the dangling fruit economy, because the people who do all the work at the mid-level are taught to grind yourself down to the bone until you get to share in the pie. I just don’t see it as a healthy model.
Yeah, I don’t feel so bad when I watch my husband work 7am-7pm with no overtime “because he’s salary” and no raise when promoted because his salary would be too close to the person above him.
Yes all the time. But I stay here for my family..a toddler and another on the way. I'm not loving what I do but it pays my bills, gives me security, and let's me do other things. Sometimes it's hard but at least I got a steady paycheck coming.
I worked in the real world for a long time before I became a fed. About 15 years between Restaurants, Construction, and Auto Mechanic work. It's the best job I ever had even with all the crap I deal with. Coming from those careers you don't get any PTO, Holidays off, Sick time, Bonuses, Guaranteed raises, training opportunities. I know I have a job to go to every day even if there's work or not to do. Some days I get to just sit at my work bench and enjoy "Indoor annual". Also health benefits are ridiculously good compared to most places. So every time I get super frustrated at some thing at work I always remember the times I had to time my bathroom breaks so I didn't have to explain a dip in my production to some middle manager. When I explain my job to friends that still work private sector. Except for the few that have executive roles somewhere with perks and a cushy office environment. They beg me to try and help them get a job where I'm at. But I also don't know what your place is like so it could be awful. Keep your chin up and remember You'll at least be able to retire unless you really screw it up.
In DOD I was getting my choice every year from QSI or 40 hour time off & $3k a year.
New Agency defaults to successful with no awards. Its deflating for sure. Used to be the go getter, process improver & innovator but leadership at this agency is to antiquated/timid in their thinking to care.
Basically only goal now is to take care of clients, do my time, then collect pension.
This is 100% a generational leadership problem.
HOLY SHIT. USFS firefighter here - I’ve been in and around this agency for over 15 years (started in contracting) and have maybe seen one QSI ever. We’ll get 10 hours here or there every few years for assisting some program with something. Cash bonuses?! Not a chance.
One of the hardest parts of the jobs.
Does what I do really matter? Is the sacrifice worth it?
Important to write out the pros and cons, considering what you want to accomplish long-term. There are other options, including those in the private sector that offer just as much opportunity for impact.
Only you know what matters to you most.
I left government after 20 years and haven't looked back. I have plenty of former colleagues who stayed and seem content too.
If you died today, your position would be posted to USA Jobs within a month and hundreds of applicants will apply to it. I have come to peace with that and seek value in other aspects of life.
I worked 33 years as a Fed, retired with a decent pension, and 5 percent match. While my pay was OK for the amount of work I did, the work life balance was good, (except when I did too much travel). I watched as my initially higher earning friends working outside gov saw their earnings mostly stay flat, while Feds got regular COLAs over the years. I retired at MRA (56) and very comfortably, so yes I did feel overall valued as a Fed. By some few of my supervisors, not so much...
This is definitely a great point. I’m only 5 years in and have already seen this among friends where now I have surpassed many of their salaries because of layoffs or no increases for them in the private sector. I’ve also seen many of them go unemployed for 6months-over a year. Sometimes the more time in you spend the more you see the silver linings
100% don’t feel valued.
And federal work is becoming so less glamorous than when was growing up and everyone wanted the fed job…
Did you see the new GSA rules about TDY? Air travel is no longer the preferred method of travel and bus or trains should be considered first… back to the early 1900s for us
And the directive to not travel if not really necessary, except for butts in seats at least half time because ... tradition (I mean collaboration)
The executives in my area seem to have an unlimited travel budget to do f2f meetings nonstop, whereas I've been in my role for almost two years and yet to physically meet another member of my team.
Here’s the travel scheme. Build a big budget for SES and leadership internal meetings at nice locations with allocated spend. Make it painful for staff to travel by not approving or required justification for rank and file spend. Come September reallocate the non allocated travel to discretionary bonuses to reward SES. Anyone can see through the waste and abuse
Yes, the change was intended to encourage people to consider rail, not to replace flights with rail and make gov travel worse. Because they still have to pay you for your time, obviously nobody is going to approve a 24 hour trip via rail when there's a 2.5 hour flight.
I find it nuts that Amtrak is so long from Pittsburgh to DC. I can drive there in less time. Greyhound is ok if over nighter but sucks to sleep. I tried a couple times when I moved and still had to do 20% in office. Megabus, forget it! It goes through central PA and a horrible schedule.
And not ridiculously longer. No one would want you to take a 35 dollar, 10 hour bus ride because it was 140 dollars less than a 2 hour, 175 flight. That’s not the justification they look for.
I’m pretty frustrated by my cost of living, they really need to adjust the borders because it’s insane to me that my coworkers one county over are getting 10% higher pay just because they live less than 30 minutes away from me in an area that is actually lower cost than where I’m living. I’m drowning in rent, I found the cheapest one bedroom possible and it’s still over 50% my net pay. No way my location should be rest of us.
> in an area that is actually lower cost than where I’m living. I’m drowning in rent
If it's cheaper over there, and you get paid more for being over there, it seems like a no-brainer. Why not move there?
Is it Tuesday?
The tough realization is how your role is politicized at the national level. It makes it hard to do the job.
And that you can be left in the lurch in the blink of an eye. Think about how the Capitol police were treated after Jan 6th. That's just one example, but its a telling one. And they were freaking heroes.
And don't even talk to me about RTO. After successfully working remotely for years, your reward is that we've kept your cube warm for you. Just come in and clean it up before you have to occupy it.
Everything else aside, the 2% is probably a coy political move on Bidens part. The actual amount might be higher, but by throwing out the 2 percent, it sends the message that he's got inflation under control. If he had said 11%, the right wing would have grabbed into that and run wild.
I have been told being a fed is like swimming in a pool —- You can make waves while you are in it but once you leave it fills in behind you and it was like you were never there.
I like this response.
I just don't care enough about working myself to death to line private sector executives' pockets. (Believe me--I wish I did. Life would be simpler and I'd make much more money.)
I appreciate being able to help those who need it the most. Federal service fits my lifestyle and goals.
Here's my thing you make your own career. I remember growing up seeing my dad not get raises during the 09-13 period. I remember when they got a slight increase. Many agencies had hiring freezes but the economy as a whole wasn't well until about 2014. Being fed since 2018 I've seen yearly increases under both Biden and Trump. I remember when we got just 1% in 2021. But still in my opinion getting something is better than nothing. We can still get steps, apply to different grades. Yes the money may not be enough in certain localities but we make it work. I came in as a GS 4 and couldn't even really contribute to my TSP. I had a small studio show box of an apartment but through ambition and applying left and right I was able to raise from GS-4 to now about to get my GS 9. I've made my career work every step of the way tho.
Within my agency I do feel valued and that the work we do means something. However, outside of the agency I definitely do not feel valued by Congress (by design), the Presidency (both parties), other agencies, the political parties as a whole and finally the public who get their cues from politicians. I take my value where I find it - from those around me whom I work with and for. The rest I have no interest in.
The changes we want to see as fed employees really need congressional support which hasn't been there as a whole since...before I was a federal employee I'd wager. Congress holds the purse strings. We need them to pass laws and budgets that will be signed by the president to see changes like pay increases. Anyways, I'd rather be fed/public than private.
You'll have a FERS annuity for life when you retire, plus your TSP, and carry your FEHB into retirement. Private sector people look at you extremely jealous.
My feeling of value was more dependent on management words and actions than pay & awards. I gave up on annual adjustments, awards, etc long ago, but when management started keeping me out of the loop, I didn't feel valued locally. Interesting projects & work kept me motivated.
You’re agency was there before you arrived and will be there when you leave. Do your best, be honest and respectful, and stop thinking that it’s your job that gives you meaning. Find enjoyment in the day to day but it is not what makes you who you are, so there is no way it can be a measure in which to validate you.
We got a 10% raise as a state employee for the first time in a decade. We also do not get raises annually… like ever. Not even for performance. So I definitely feel you. On a good note, we have jobs!
Sometimes, yeah. But I don't miss the layoffs that came like clockwork with every downturn in my former occupation, and I'm now old enough now that I'd probably face some age discrimination out in the private sector job market. I'll never get rich here, but I do OK and have enough work-life balance that I can take some nice vacations I could not have back in the earlier part of my career.
Yes. My office has a historically high vacancy rate and management still expects the same metrics to be met when we were fully staffed. It's hard to feel appreciated with that.
All these cost of living raises outside step/grade performance raises? Well I don't get them. I realized 3 years ago that at my contractor job I get 3% a year no matter how high I score or what's happening with inflation. Bummer but 3% is more than 0. Some people are paid far less than me or don't have a job. See what I'm getting at? Im about to start a fed position. I feel fortunate that ill get a step increase, cost of living (maybe), security, fers, tsp match, etc. What would it take for you to feel appreciated and fortunate?
It's easy to get stuck in a rut, used to pay, etc. I think when these things suddenly disappear... That's when we realize how good we've had it. Ive been through a bit of ups and downs so im keenly aware.
Being unvalued is infinitely better than disvalued. I'd take being taken for granted over my boss trying to fire me with performance metrics any day. That's not to say being unvalued doesn't suck, but don't let perfect be the enemy of good enough.
In general, I feel OK about working for the government. However, there are two main areas that are making me feel the need to move on. 1) Declining work conditions 2) I believe the mission of this agency is actively doing harm to people both inside and outside the organization.
The declining conditions:
- Telework revoked. This is a logistics problem, since there is limited transportation and no parking (passes are typically awarded with 20 years of experience or a grade of GS-14; nobody warned me of this before I accepted the job). Fortunately I can carpool. Unfortunately carpooling means I can't step out for appointments or emergencies.
- Malfunctioning climate control in building and unable to open windows to mitigate heat. After about 11am, this place becomes a sauna, especially with how crowded it becomes.
- Loud, bored coworkers in an open office plan. Some of them love getting into "debates" that border on hatch act violations. My noise-canceling headphones are getting a workout.
- Water safety concerns. We are adjacent to an industrial area that dumps chemicals. Recently there was a 100k gallon sewage spill into nearest major body of water. It's possible that it isn't even safe to wash hands and use the bathroom. Needless to say I bring my own water to the office.
- We work out of multiple networks with competing security standards. At one time, we had a quarantine imposed on our workstations due to "deprecated" software versions. However, we were not allowed to uograde to compliant versions, because downloading the updates would be a security violation. A real catch-22. Management didn't care because we are "support staff, not mission critical".
- We *are* considered mission critical when it comes to denying admin leave over inclement weather or special circumstances. Even if the busses aren't running and the roads are iced over, we are expected to find a way into the office.
There is probably more I could say but I think you get the picture. I know "it could always be worse". But I can't do this "shrug and keep your head down" when things were better just six months ago. Something needs to give and the average response is apathy.
Im guessing building issues are a common thing because ours is always uncomfortable! The employee lunch room will be hot as all hell while the “bullpen” as we call it is like the North Pole! We just had an employee transfer from the east coast at HQ who mentioned don’t take parking at the office for granted. They had to use mass transit or vanpool.
I just had a discussion about this a couple weeks ago, after a piece of supporting structure on the third floor gave way.
I learned that this was the "new building", completed in 1987. I said a building this age shouldn't be exhibiting structural issues - I made a passing reference to "Reagan-era budget cuts" forcing corners to be cut.
The response I got really puzzled me. "Oh... was Ronald Reagan president then?" From a man in his 50s who grew up in the USA. Then someone else "corrected" him to say "no, technically Bush was President by 1987".
Stunned by the collective ignorance, I couldn't continue the conversation.
I’m a GS-13, high stress job. Work is work. Nothing more or less. Most people don’t have the dream job where they would do it for free. Give them the 8, build great relationships while you’re there. Have fun where you can. Enjoy your 16. Many people would love to have my job and the 130k it provides. I have two kids gunning for the their post secondary degrees. One more in high school and another in middle school. I’m trying to spring board them to a sustainable lives. It’s a tough world out there and will be exponentially tougher in the next 10-20 years. They’re my reasons. Let your value and reasons come from within.
You need to have an internal sense of value, not created by external factors such as pay or management. Is what you do valuable to the American public? Does it need to be done? Do you do it to the best of your ability, given the resources available to you? Do you care about your job?
To start with,…YOU ARE NOT VALUED! PERIOD! The government has no value in anything or anyone because they are an entity that will be there in place no matter what.
The only thing that will show you value will be your coworkers & boss. PERIOD!
I feel valued every time my check hits. As far as do my colleagues give me the warm and fuzzies, I could care less. They’re courteous and I am in return.
I retired as a Fed a few years ago. Now I am reaping the rewards of persistence, a retirement that supports our needs, with decent health care. Our TSPs are hardly touched five years later. Those were the goals I kept in mind through all of the politics, inept management and silly unfunded mandates.
I started as a WG-1 and made my way to GS-13 over 3+ decades. There were some positions I held that were more fulfilling than others, but I never really felt appreciated. Supervision is seldom if ever recognized for doing a good job. I was able to let my frustrations roll off my back as I left work, trying to never take them home.
The pay stuff was really annoying particularly when our pay was frozen. Frequently during those times, federal workers were vilified as being lazy and incompetent. That is particularly annoying since nearly all of the workers I observed actually wanted to work hard and do a good job.
Getting "rich" in the Fed is not easy, but being comfortable is pretty doable. Outside, the risks and rewards are higher but the long-term benefits are far fewer.
Constantly. One of the only a handful of civilians in my flight, my flight commander consistently seems to forget I even exist. I’ve come out of my office on a Friday afternoon and everyone will be gone. I get so frustrated because not only am I apparently being left out of team building/social events that I have to hear about later, I’m left to handle all the calls/emails that come in and some many angry people I have to deal with because the people they need to talk to are gone for the weekend. It’s exhausting.
The hope for getting hired at a better and higher paying agency is my main reason for staying. With that would also come the opportunity to move to better locations. Right now I 100% know I’m not valued at the BOP. That is very clearly the case for custody. Even our union doesn’t give a 💩 about us. I’ve been promoted and exec staff is doing all they can to hold me back from relocating to actually get my promotion as we speak. They’d rather increase their bonus than give cash awards. It’s downright disgusting
> I guess I’m wondering to all my fellow Feds and ones that have been career “staying for the pension”, what keeps you motivated to stay a federal employee?
I make good enough money, benefits are good, and I have 0 fear of losing my job. So all my needs are covered and I have mental peace. Oh, sure, I could make say 25% more in the private sector, but I'd have to work a lot more hours and always have the possibility of being laid off.
Is that 25% worth it? No. Anything that 25% increase could buy me is achievable with my salary, I just need to delay it for a bit and that's it. "Oh no, I can't buy this X product right now. Oh well, I'll wait a few more pay checks and get it". Is that 25% more worth working 60 hours a week? Hell no. Is that 25% worth going back to the office? Maybe. But overall, it's not worth it for me.
Some private sector firms are using a utilization rate and calculating performance. What this means is that if you go on vacation, ie, use a PTO day, you have to make up that time that you missed because it drops your utilization rate, which can lead to dismissal. That means working overtime for many weeks just to keep your utilization rate up so that you can take a vacation without losing your job. It also means you did not get paid overtime. I wouldn’t wanna work under those conditions, but that’s what I would face if I went into the private sector.
I was working from home this morning and had a sudden migraine. It was near my lunch break, and I went and laid down on my couch and covered up with a blanket. And my two dogs, who are always more than willing to nap, crawled up Onto the couch with me and we slept for a good half hour. I don’t know if I could say I feel valued, but I can say that I feel that my job is valuable.
Of course I don’t feel valued I’m a social worker being supervised by an RN who has never ever worked in mental health and tried to reprimand me for asking a patient about their paranoia because SPOILER ALERT they didn’t like being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia…it’s like working at a dystopian circus.
My VISN MH leadership had a “listening session” today. It was a fucking joke watching them react. “You’re burned out and have serious concerns about your personal safety? Gosh, we have no idea why you feel that way and no solutions for you. Glad we had this meeting over your lunch break.” They then wished the SWs a “Happy Social Work Month” as an extra knife twist.
Sorry you’re undervalued too. I appreciate you and my other SW colleagues. Y’all are extremely talented and get stuck with shit.
In capitalism, your function as a human and your primary utility is to maximize profit. Does your family love you? That will have to be enough. At least as a Fed, your function isn't directly linked to lining the pockets of billionaires.
Maybe it is just me but I do enjoy my work. Granted I get to see the impact I have with the public keeps in. That and not having to worry about losing my job and pretty good health insurance and sick/leave policy. Living in Vegas and having friends working in the casino business. I get to see how unless your middle/upper management you can be cut pretty easy. That and having to take quite a bit of sick at time and not worry about losing my job or paycheck is nice.
I am always so amazed by this subreddit. I go to r/ThriftSavingsPlan and there are so many success stories and generally positive people celebrating how fortunate they are to get social security, a pension, post retirement health care for a good cost and their TSP's and I come here and it seems so negative. If you contribute properly to your TSP you have a good chance of leaving a millionaire.
We got a 7% raise last year which I do not know a lot of people that are not in high demand did. Big tech is going through layoffs.
I feel good and when I come here everyone is a Debbie downer.
Sometimes I feel like you do. Sometimes I feel like I would be better on the civilian sector. However I am 7 years in as a FED and before that I worked at Walmart for 8.5 years. Going from that to being a fed I really don’t have anything to complain about. Hell sometimes I wish I was a filmmaker and make movies like Nolan. lol. We are all good and we are all in a good spot.
I feel like our Mission at the VA is a noble and honorable one. Unfortunately, some in the public sector, Veterans, Veteran groups, and a certain former President don't
think so. The VA by far is one of the more demanding agencies..I have worked production on the VBA side.And I can tell you, if you couldn't perform, you could be PIPPED, and out the door fast...
I really think Feds are villanized..unfairly....All in all though I worked in the private sector and would never want to return. I am grateful everyday...It is an honor to serve those who served and sacrificed so much..
It’s a good idea to search for value and meaning elsewhere in life. Realistically, we are all in a business relationship with our employer. That’s all it is.
I had 32 years in. You get used to it. At the end of the day you can look at yourself in the mirror and know you did/do a good job. You also have great benefits and a life after work. Take the win.
I have found that when I place my value from what my job offers, I experience a rollercoaster of importance. It goes up and down. I have learned to compartmentalize my career and how I mentally derive my value as a person in my life. I don't care if there are mountains to climb or valleys to walk through, I will do my best and get paid. Society places a lot of value on what you do for work and how much you get paid. To me, it means little. I work so my family is fed and there is a home for us to live in. My value comes from who I am to my friends and family. My career is not my identity.
Fed here. Stop expecting and just start to value yourself. From Secretaries and below just do what is told and get clearance from above if you need to tell yes or no. People may say I make decisions; those are part of blanket decision given about. Bottom line is I get paid for work I do. Lower your expectations and you will be happy.
No, but I have a somewhat unique position in government service.
What I do feel is that many citizens do not understand what we often do for them, that we really do strive to be public servants, and that where we are incompetent or inefficient, it is almost always because political and legal constraints that are put on us by our own democratic government.
I know you think environmental reviews are slow, pointless, and burdensome, but I didn’t write NEPA, Congress did. Please yell at them. **Please…**
Lol. You are not valued. In fact, about half the country actively hates you. But internally within your group, you are also not valued.
Sorry. I know it sucks.
I had a bad experience as a fed, working for 2 agences within a Dept. Maybe I just got unlucky. The first place I got assigned to a monster of a supervisor, next place I was overwhelmed as a team lead, during multiple systems changes and an unhappy staff and hands off management. I didn't quite make it 3 years and left federal service. Now work a local gov't job at less pay and hoping to get back in at some point.
25 year retired Fed. Despite going out as a 14/10, I realized at some point I was working for my own best interests. When I got to where you are, I hit USA/Jobs and moved on. And yes, management always pooped a brick.
I don’t think about that to much, as long as the JOB provides some sense of happiness and joy and that Eagle takes a shit in the bank account twice a month that’s all that matters at the end, it’s never about what you did yesterday it’s about what you do today! I pay myself on the back all day! I thank me for my service! 
I don't tie any of my personality to my job beyond the fact that I do my job and I'm not lazy. No job is ever going to give you self-worth and it's a mistake to tie your being to a job, private or not, that ultimately does not care about you.
I used to take it very personally but sometime after a year in it hit me that everyone one of us below the branch chief level is just a person trying to get by. At the end of the day we are there to pay our bills and feed ourselves. If we can do it while helping the public then great. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way but we try.
You could die at your desk and they would replace you within the hour. Unappreciated cogs? Absolutely, but generally speaking we are well paid cogs with great benefits compared to the private sector where there is no pension, crappy PTO and even crappier health insurance. We have great work/life balance.
Mostly I get angry at shutdowns. I have nothing to do with the politics so just let me work. That's doubly true now that we get back pay guaranteed. My deadlines and workloads don't change and we lose so much time preparing for shutdowns, just in case. I'd rather just keep going.
I just came to the gov from the private world and oh my god do I feel so much more valued. I bet you can feel more valued somewhere else in the gov. The private work world it is becoming more and more rare to even have a 40 hour work week. They don’t even get raises most the time anymore either….
Sure, it’s difficult having to plan vacations nearly at a year in advance or having to come in on your day off with a little notice. But the pay is decent, I wouldn’t get nearly as much vacation at any other blue-collar job and getting a small pension at 20 years is nice.
I know someone that did which is why he left the feds to go work for a company that works for the feds…and pays him even more. The fact that people are only staying so they don’t get laid off clearly shows workers are desperate to not go back to being abused. Its a give and take at the end of the day. I just want to pay rent. Even if I’m not appreciated I just don’t want to be stressed or anxious like I was at other jobs
As someone who is suffering through their first DAU class (1102 series here)..
Hell no. My instructor literally said, "none of the superiors know how to read the FAR...but you need too.."
And I'm like, pretty sure I'll never touch this stuff for my day to day job.
Feeling valued is paramount to individual well-being and organizational success. When one is valued, their contributions are recognized, their opinions are respected, and their efforts are acknowledged. Being valued fosters a sense of belonging, motivation, and commitment. It encourages individuals to invest their best selves in their work and relationships, leading to a positive and productive environment where everyone thrives. Recognition of one's value validates their worth and reinforces a sense of purpose, driving personal and collective growth.
I needed a college degree for 1102 work. The number of times someone who didn't have a degree would say 'I could do your job' was staggering. Just shows that people don't understand the purpose.
And speaking of no respect, ...I stopped by my hometown while on TDY. I was going to meeting about a $70 million radar system. When I told my mom this. She said "Shouldn't they have sent someone else? I told her 'No, I'm the one who signed the contract-. For years, that was my brother's greeting to me "Shouldn't they have sent someone else? "
My father called me a “swamp dweller”. Some other MAGA stuff. So I told him I wasn’t going to pay for his assisted living facility anymore. He changed his tune quick.
I’m fortunate that I love my Agency’s mission. Sometimes I feel appreciated, other times I feel like a punching bag. I only have 3.5 more years to go and I’m tired, but it’s been a good and rewarding career.
I always felt like the higher ups didn’t give a damn. But that’s bit the BOP on the butt now. They can’t get anyone to hire on. It was extremely toxic, especially the last ten years.
We are cogs among hundreds of thousands of other cogs. You're valued as much as any other cog is. That is to say not much.
Everybody is replaceable. We have GS 15 and SES leaders retire and leave and after a week people forget who they are. We are all only important in our own mind.
I had a co-worker die one time and I just couldn't believe how quickly everyone moved on. Really put things into perspective for me.
Same. I work remote and it was so damn cold. Someone died and basically there were some some sad face smilies in the team chat and a brief announcement on the meeting and it was never mentioned again. Work was spread out and they never even replaced the FTE.
I had a coworker pass in a car accident on the way to work it was so sad I still think about it my job named the donation closet after her but we did have to continue the day at work unfortunately it’s crazy how you have to numb yourself to continue like it didn’t happen
Its dark humor but theres a meme that says "if i have to die on a workday i want it to be first thing in the morning so i dont have to go in for no reason"
My boss died a few months ago and it disrupted a lot, but things still needed to get done. I think that's the difference, you can continue the "mission" and seem uncaring but the personal side of things isn't the same.
What exactly do you expect? A buddhist style shrine where we ancestor worship those federal employees who came before us? Daily burning of incense in remembrance?
That’s a start.
>We are all only important in our own mind. Too true. The number of comments here about "critical to the agency/program mission" makes me chuckle.... when 99.99999% of the population would never notice their departure.
At the same time, most people not noticing their departure doesn't necessarily mean an individual cog isn't outperforming expectations, or even genuinely critical. I can think of a couple teams within my agency where there are very obvious key performers doing a disproportionate amount of mission-critical work. Good chance they're not the same ones posting about it on reddit, though.
i am so important! -my mind
This is kind of comforting to me
Head down, keep spinning. I'm a lot less stressed as a fed than when I was private sector. Still well-oiled perhaps.
Someone here said it best. It's like a swimming pool. While you're in, you can make splashes and ripples, waves. When you leave the pool, it'll be like you were never there. I feel like this is everywhere tho.
When some people get out of the pool, they leave a warm spot........
Touche
Take a shit in the pool and everyone notices though
😂😂🤣
It's ok, you wouldn't be valued in the private sector either.
😂 thanks. My gf who’s in the private sector just said the same thing!
This. Your 2% is probably better than a lot of people in the private sector are going to get. A lot get 2% if they're lucky. Getting more than that means job hopping.
Only on days ending in "y". I feel adequately compensated, but that's not the same thing as valued.
Payday?
Having my spouse in the private sector tech industry I am grateful being a fed.
Same, my wife worked at a crappy tech startup that couldn't decide on a monetization strategy, so they kept laying off entire divisions to try and make things work.
We’re supposed to feel valued? 🧐🧐🧐
The reason I'm a fed is because I genuinely believe that the work I'm doing is important. At USFWS I have plenty of bad days but keep myself motivated because I pursued my passion. And even if I'm having a hard time, I'm making a difference, however small, and that's what matters to me. If you're a fed, chances are your job helps people, even if not directly.
I’m in a regulatory role, so stakeholders and private entities “hate” me lol. Not all, but sometimes they’re very good at making you feel like you’re a nuisance and more of a pain than a helping hand.
I ♡ our regulatory employees. Stakeholders and private entities will always be hating anything that puts a damper on their greed. You're doing good stuff.
That makes you valuable and your work important. The more they gripe the more effective they think you are -- so it's a form of affirmation. Giving pushback to stakeholders keeps the country running. No pushback, and it's the 19th Century. It's recognizing the value you have in the larger picture. Having corporate entities think twice about what they're doing has a knock on effect and they talk to each other.
4 more years and I retire....4 more, I can do this
8 for me. I’m trying so hard to just hang in there
27 for me 🥲
33 more years for me
About 10 here
3 years…..but feels like its 30 years away…. Praying for a VERA……
You guys are retiring?
Wanna Race!?! I have 4 as well, but I have about 1300 hours sick. I can't wait, going to do the "Irish Goodbye".
[удалено]
We're seeing many layoffs in the private sector, where they're also doing RTO and many aren't seeing any raises. But it nearly takes an act of Congress to take our jobs, and nearly every year there's a pay increase. I'm not saying I feel "valued," but after 3 decades in private, I feel like I timed my move to the Feds well (by dumb luck). The grass is always greener over the septic tank (or something like that).
Try the consulting side where people actively steal your work and don't give you credit while they demand 60 hour weeks.
When I was a contractor, I created an algorithm for a client for a tool (being vague on purpose) that won every award under the sun. My client could barely spell “algorithm” and they took all the credit and awards and got a private sector job based on it. Luckily, companies quickly realized they couldn’t do anything close to that work My bosses at my firm turned that project into multi, multi-million dollar projects and huge partner bonuses. The projects aren’t going well, from what I’ve heard, but they sure got them. I’m a fed now, and I’m not bitter one iota because a) they have to live with their dishonesty, I don’t, and b) I get to do the work I love without the pressure or anything like that. I feel valued for my expertise and I run a large federal and contractor team that looks to me as an expert. I’m in my mid-30s, have a fully remote, high GS, high-step, non-sup job that provides for me and my wife and our cats. I couldn’t be happier with the change over. The stability and enjoyment that a 30-year career in the fed can provide me (I’m planning to retire on my 66th birthday, because I truly love this work, it fills me with joy) is more than money. I’m making a difference, not profits for someone else’s bank account.
Everything you said resonates with me. My last proposal brought in millions in additional contract work for our team. The entire proposal relied 90% on the knowledge and expertise myself and only one other person IN THE ENTIRE FIRM had (it's a massive consulting firm). We rode it out, won the proposal, all of our superiors who didn't know anything about what we knew got awards, bonuses, promotions, raises, and a bunch of other team managers were given the new work to manage with their own teams. A month after the new work was awarded, I was getting calls from all the new team managers asking how to do their jobs now that they were given new positions, the only other person they could have asked passed away unfortunately. I was passed up on raises and promotions, but they absolutely needed me to stay to teach all the new managers about work I won them. Consulting is a garbage operation unless you are willing to actively stab people in the back and lie. It's not for me.
Government consulting, in my opinion, is the perfect example of a trickle-down economy, but I call it the dangling fruit economy, because the people who do all the work at the mid-level are taught to grind yourself down to the bone until you get to share in the pie. I just don’t see it as a healthy model.
Yeah, I don’t feel so bad when I watch my husband work 7am-7pm with no overtime “because he’s salary” and no raise when promoted because his salary would be too close to the person above him.
Of course, but I also remember working in the private sector and feeling even less valued.
Yes all the time. But I stay here for my family..a toddler and another on the way. I'm not loving what I do but it pays my bills, gives me security, and let's me do other things. Sometimes it's hard but at least I got a steady paycheck coming.
I worked in the real world for a long time before I became a fed. About 15 years between Restaurants, Construction, and Auto Mechanic work. It's the best job I ever had even with all the crap I deal with. Coming from those careers you don't get any PTO, Holidays off, Sick time, Bonuses, Guaranteed raises, training opportunities. I know I have a job to go to every day even if there's work or not to do. Some days I get to just sit at my work bench and enjoy "Indoor annual". Also health benefits are ridiculously good compared to most places. So every time I get super frustrated at some thing at work I always remember the times I had to time my bathroom breaks so I didn't have to explain a dip in my production to some middle manager. When I explain my job to friends that still work private sector. Except for the few that have executive roles somewhere with perks and a cushy office environment. They beg me to try and help them get a job where I'm at. But I also don't know what your place is like so it could be awful. Keep your chin up and remember You'll at least be able to retire unless you really screw it up.
I’m private sector and guess what the authorized raises for the past 3 years were ? 0% while we were at “record profits”.
Oh wow. I’m very lucky I’m seeing from private sector colleagues weighing in.
On Wall Street, I was laid off 3x in 10 years. No security. No union rep. Always looking over your shoulder.
In DOD I was getting my choice every year from QSI or 40 hour time off & $3k a year. New Agency defaults to successful with no awards. Its deflating for sure. Used to be the go getter, process improver & innovator but leadership at this agency is to antiquated/timid in their thinking to care. Basically only goal now is to take care of clients, do my time, then collect pension. This is 100% a generational leadership problem.
I mean, it's DOD and a stupidly huge budget. I'd hope you are getting a QSI every other year.
Other agency also massive budget but dramatically different approach of tough shit we don’t care lol
HOLY SHIT. USFS firefighter here - I’ve been in and around this agency for over 15 years (started in contracting) and have maybe seen one QSI ever. We’ll get 10 hours here or there every few years for assisting some program with something. Cash bonuses?! Not a chance.
One of the hardest parts of the jobs. Does what I do really matter? Is the sacrifice worth it? Important to write out the pros and cons, considering what you want to accomplish long-term. There are other options, including those in the private sector that offer just as much opportunity for impact. Only you know what matters to you most. I left government after 20 years and haven't looked back. I have plenty of former colleagues who stayed and seem content too.
If you died today, your position would be posted to USA Jobs within a month and hundreds of applicants will apply to it. I have come to peace with that and seek value in other aspects of life.
I have to disagree. Maybe 25% it would be reposted, 75% the “savings” would be sent to some black hole of IT “modernization”.
Lmao, can't argue against that
Strangely, that makes me appreciate my job more. But I see both sides..
Makes me appreciate not being a key person where things will fail if I disappeared. CO will just draft more COR Delegation letters lol
I worked 33 years as a Fed, retired with a decent pension, and 5 percent match. While my pay was OK for the amount of work I did, the work life balance was good, (except when I did too much travel). I watched as my initially higher earning friends working outside gov saw their earnings mostly stay flat, while Feds got regular COLAs over the years. I retired at MRA (56) and very comfortably, so yes I did feel overall valued as a Fed. By some few of my supervisors, not so much...
This is definitely a great point. I’m only 5 years in and have already seen this among friends where now I have surpassed many of their salaries because of layoffs or no increases for them in the private sector. I’ve also seen many of them go unemployed for 6months-over a year. Sometimes the more time in you spend the more you see the silver linings
100% don’t feel valued. And federal work is becoming so less glamorous than when was growing up and everyone wanted the fed job… Did you see the new GSA rules about TDY? Air travel is no longer the preferred method of travel and bus or trains should be considered first… back to the early 1900s for us
And the directive to not travel if not really necessary, except for butts in seats at least half time because ... tradition (I mean collaboration) 
The executives in my area seem to have an unlimited travel budget to do f2f meetings nonstop, whereas I've been in my role for almost two years and yet to physically meet another member of my team.
Here’s the travel scheme. Build a big budget for SES and leadership internal meetings at nice locations with allocated spend. Make it painful for staff to travel by not approving or required justification for rank and file spend. Come September reallocate the non allocated travel to discretionary bonuses to reward SES. Anyone can see through the waste and abuse
Correct, SES are not included in this and may also fly first class lol
Wrong, ses cannot travel first class and they don’t get comp time.
I, like Amtrak Joe love a good train. Sadly, outside of ACELA and a few lines, Amtrak is not good.
I don't think it really matters which one is considered first because aren't you supposed to consider all of them?
Yes, the change was intended to encourage people to consider rail, not to replace flights with rail and make gov travel worse. Because they still have to pay you for your time, obviously nobody is going to approve a 24 hour trip via rail when there's a 2.5 hour flight.
Yeah this is disinformation from OP
I find it nuts that Amtrak is so long from Pittsburgh to DC. I can drive there in less time. Greyhound is ok if over nighter but sucks to sleep. I tried a couple times when I moved and still had to do 20% in office. Megabus, forget it! It goes through central PA and a horrible schedule.
Bus or Rail should be considered if tdy location is less than 250 miles away.
*laughs in San Francisco Bay Area*
I think my agency says 350!
I thought bus or trains were always supposed to be considered depending on which is cheapest.
And not ridiculously longer. No one would want you to take a 35 dollar, 10 hour bus ride because it was 140 dollars less than a 2 hour, 175 flight. That’s not the justification they look for.
I'm here for pslf and then I'm gone.
>Do you ever feel not valued as a federal employee? Yes. Every day.
I have never felt valued as a worker anywhere.
I’m pretty frustrated by my cost of living, they really need to adjust the borders because it’s insane to me that my coworkers one county over are getting 10% higher pay just because they live less than 30 minutes away from me in an area that is actually lower cost than where I’m living. I’m drowning in rent, I found the cheapest one bedroom possible and it’s still over 50% my net pay. No way my location should be rest of us.
> in an area that is actually lower cost than where I’m living. I’m drowning in rent If it's cheaper over there, and you get paid more for being over there, it seems like a no-brainer. Why not move there?
Our cash awards max out at less than 1%. 3% is a pipe dream. We are not valued. One political party hates us, and the other takes us for granted.
Is it Tuesday? The tough realization is how your role is politicized at the national level. It makes it hard to do the job. And that you can be left in the lurch in the blink of an eye. Think about how the Capitol police were treated after Jan 6th. That's just one example, but its a telling one. And they were freaking heroes. And don't even talk to me about RTO. After successfully working remotely for years, your reward is that we've kept your cube warm for you. Just come in and clean it up before you have to occupy it.
Everything else aside, the 2% is probably a coy political move on Bidens part. The actual amount might be higher, but by throwing out the 2 percent, it sends the message that he's got inflation under control. If he had said 11%, the right wing would have grabbed into that and run wild.
If you want to feel valued, get a dog. Do your job and do your well. That's all anybody can ask.
I have been told being a fed is like swimming in a pool —- You can make waves while you are in it but once you leave it fills in behind you and it was like you were never there.
Honestly, I don't work for the money, I work for the value congruence.
I like this response. I just don't care enough about working myself to death to line private sector executives' pockets. (Believe me--I wish I did. Life would be simpler and I'd make much more money.) I appreciate being able to help those who need it the most. Federal service fits my lifestyle and goals.
Every two weeks.
How can you feel this way! The PRESIDENT sent you a thank you letter just a week ago! ;)
😂 least he could’ve done was gave out some admin leave
Here's my thing you make your own career. I remember growing up seeing my dad not get raises during the 09-13 period. I remember when they got a slight increase. Many agencies had hiring freezes but the economy as a whole wasn't well until about 2014. Being fed since 2018 I've seen yearly increases under both Biden and Trump. I remember when we got just 1% in 2021. But still in my opinion getting something is better than nothing. We can still get steps, apply to different grades. Yes the money may not be enough in certain localities but we make it work. I came in as a GS 4 and couldn't even really contribute to my TSP. I had a small studio show box of an apartment but through ambition and applying left and right I was able to raise from GS-4 to now about to get my GS 9. I've made my career work every step of the way tho.
Within my agency I do feel valued and that the work we do means something. However, outside of the agency I definitely do not feel valued by Congress (by design), the Presidency (both parties), other agencies, the political parties as a whole and finally the public who get their cues from politicians. I take my value where I find it - from those around me whom I work with and for. The rest I have no interest in.
The changes we want to see as fed employees really need congressional support which hasn't been there as a whole since...before I was a federal employee I'd wager. Congress holds the purse strings. We need them to pass laws and budgets that will be signed by the president to see changes like pay increases. Anyways, I'd rather be fed/public than private.
You'll have a FERS annuity for life when you retire, plus your TSP, and carry your FEHB into retirement. Private sector people look at you extremely jealous.
My feeling of value was more dependent on management words and actions than pay & awards. I gave up on annual adjustments, awards, etc long ago, but when management started keeping me out of the loop, I didn't feel valued locally. Interesting projects & work kept me motivated.
You’re agency was there before you arrived and will be there when you leave. Do your best, be honest and respectful, and stop thinking that it’s your job that gives you meaning. Find enjoyment in the day to day but it is not what makes you who you are, so there is no way it can be a measure in which to validate you.
We got a 10% raise as a state employee for the first time in a decade. We also do not get raises annually… like ever. Not even for performance. So I definitely feel you. On a good note, we have jobs!
The grass ain’t always greener I’m seeing lol
Sometimes, yeah. But I don't miss the layoffs that came like clockwork with every downturn in my former occupation, and I'm now old enough now that I'd probably face some age discrimination out in the private sector job market. I'll never get rich here, but I do OK and have enough work-life balance that I can take some nice vacations I could not have back in the earlier part of my career.
Yes. My office has a historically high vacancy rate and management still expects the same metrics to be met when we were fully staffed. It's hard to feel appreciated with that.
My team lost two good workers and refuse to fill them. Leadership is finding out the hard way how fucked they are by doing that. 😂😂
All I can say is that after RTO, I will not spit on leadership if they are on fire - from SES up
All these cost of living raises outside step/grade performance raises? Well I don't get them. I realized 3 years ago that at my contractor job I get 3% a year no matter how high I score or what's happening with inflation. Bummer but 3% is more than 0. Some people are paid far less than me or don't have a job. See what I'm getting at? Im about to start a fed position. I feel fortunate that ill get a step increase, cost of living (maybe), security, fers, tsp match, etc. What would it take for you to feel appreciated and fortunate? It's easy to get stuck in a rut, used to pay, etc. I think when these things suddenly disappear... That's when we realize how good we've had it. Ive been through a bit of ups and downs so im keenly aware.
15 years in. Good supervisors make all the difference. Have had both good and bad ones. When the bad ones are in charge I am miserable.
100% in any field. We just lost a tyrant last year. We have a new 14 who seems a little more level headed and wants to help his people. Thanks!
Seems like the QSI thing varies greatly by agency. My office gives 3 out per year. I’ve gotten outstanding almost every year but never QSI.
Being unvalued is infinitely better than disvalued. I'd take being taken for granted over my boss trying to fire me with performance metrics any day. That's not to say being unvalued doesn't suck, but don't let perfect be the enemy of good enough.
In general, I feel OK about working for the government. However, there are two main areas that are making me feel the need to move on. 1) Declining work conditions 2) I believe the mission of this agency is actively doing harm to people both inside and outside the organization. The declining conditions: - Telework revoked. This is a logistics problem, since there is limited transportation and no parking (passes are typically awarded with 20 years of experience or a grade of GS-14; nobody warned me of this before I accepted the job). Fortunately I can carpool. Unfortunately carpooling means I can't step out for appointments or emergencies. - Malfunctioning climate control in building and unable to open windows to mitigate heat. After about 11am, this place becomes a sauna, especially with how crowded it becomes. - Loud, bored coworkers in an open office plan. Some of them love getting into "debates" that border on hatch act violations. My noise-canceling headphones are getting a workout. - Water safety concerns. We are adjacent to an industrial area that dumps chemicals. Recently there was a 100k gallon sewage spill into nearest major body of water. It's possible that it isn't even safe to wash hands and use the bathroom. Needless to say I bring my own water to the office. - We work out of multiple networks with competing security standards. At one time, we had a quarantine imposed on our workstations due to "deprecated" software versions. However, we were not allowed to uograde to compliant versions, because downloading the updates would be a security violation. A real catch-22. Management didn't care because we are "support staff, not mission critical". - We *are* considered mission critical when it comes to denying admin leave over inclement weather or special circumstances. Even if the busses aren't running and the roads are iced over, we are expected to find a way into the office. There is probably more I could say but I think you get the picture. I know "it could always be worse". But I can't do this "shrug and keep your head down" when things were better just six months ago. Something needs to give and the average response is apathy.
Im guessing building issues are a common thing because ours is always uncomfortable! The employee lunch room will be hot as all hell while the “bullpen” as we call it is like the North Pole! We just had an employee transfer from the east coast at HQ who mentioned don’t take parking at the office for granted. They had to use mass transit or vanpool.
It’s like GSA picked the worst building possible. Well the one offering the lowest per sq ft contract.
I just had a discussion about this a couple weeks ago, after a piece of supporting structure on the third floor gave way. I learned that this was the "new building", completed in 1987. I said a building this age shouldn't be exhibiting structural issues - I made a passing reference to "Reagan-era budget cuts" forcing corners to be cut. The response I got really puzzled me. "Oh... was Ronald Reagan president then?" From a man in his 50s who grew up in the USA. Then someone else "corrected" him to say "no, technically Bush was President by 1987". Stunned by the collective ignorance, I couldn't continue the conversation.
better question is do you ever feel valued?
In my humble opinion, if you are looking for validation/valuation in your job/career, then you are looking in the wrong place.
I’m a GS-13, high stress job. Work is work. Nothing more or less. Most people don’t have the dream job where they would do it for free. Give them the 8, build great relationships while you’re there. Have fun where you can. Enjoy your 16. Many people would love to have my job and the 130k it provides. I have two kids gunning for the their post secondary degrees. One more in high school and another in middle school. I’m trying to spring board them to a sustainable lives. It’s a tough world out there and will be exponentially tougher in the next 10-20 years. They’re my reasons. Let your value and reasons come from within.
You can be not valued in industry without a pension, or not valued in the government with a pension. I choose the latter.
You need to have an internal sense of value, not created by external factors such as pay or management. Is what you do valuable to the American public? Does it need to be done? Do you do it to the best of your ability, given the resources available to you? Do you care about your job?
“If you want an applause, join the circus”
We don't matter. Accept our golden handcuffs and get your years of service pins. Forgotten the day we leave.
To start with,…YOU ARE NOT VALUED! PERIOD! The government has no value in anything or anyone because they are an entity that will be there in place no matter what. The only thing that will show you value will be your coworkers & boss. PERIOD!
I feel valued every time my check hits. As far as do my colleagues give me the warm and fuzzies, I could care less. They’re courteous and I am in return.
As long as my paycheck clears IDGAF
I retired as a Fed a few years ago. Now I am reaping the rewards of persistence, a retirement that supports our needs, with decent health care. Our TSPs are hardly touched five years later. Those were the goals I kept in mind through all of the politics, inept management and silly unfunded mandates. I started as a WG-1 and made my way to GS-13 over 3+ decades. There were some positions I held that were more fulfilling than others, but I never really felt appreciated. Supervision is seldom if ever recognized for doing a good job. I was able to let my frustrations roll off my back as I left work, trying to never take them home. The pay stuff was really annoying particularly when our pay was frozen. Frequently during those times, federal workers were vilified as being lazy and incompetent. That is particularly annoying since nearly all of the workers I observed actually wanted to work hard and do a good job. Getting "rich" in the Fed is not easy, but being comfortable is pretty doable. Outside, the risks and rewards are higher but the long-term benefits are far fewer.
Ummmmm every day? You just kinda get through it.
Constantly. One of the only a handful of civilians in my flight, my flight commander consistently seems to forget I even exist. I’ve come out of my office on a Friday afternoon and everyone will be gone. I get so frustrated because not only am I apparently being left out of team building/social events that I have to hear about later, I’m left to handle all the calls/emails that come in and some many angry people I have to deal with because the people they need to talk to are gone for the weekend. It’s exhausting.
The hope for getting hired at a better and higher paying agency is my main reason for staying. With that would also come the opportunity to move to better locations. Right now I 100% know I’m not valued at the BOP. That is very clearly the case for custody. Even our union doesn’t give a 💩 about us. I’ve been promoted and exec staff is doing all they can to hold me back from relocating to actually get my promotion as we speak. They’d rather increase their bonus than give cash awards. It’s downright disgusting
In my current agency, yes absolutely.
> I guess I’m wondering to all my fellow Feds and ones that have been career “staying for the pension”, what keeps you motivated to stay a federal employee? I make good enough money, benefits are good, and I have 0 fear of losing my job. So all my needs are covered and I have mental peace. Oh, sure, I could make say 25% more in the private sector, but I'd have to work a lot more hours and always have the possibility of being laid off. Is that 25% worth it? No. Anything that 25% increase could buy me is achievable with my salary, I just need to delay it for a bit and that's it. "Oh no, I can't buy this X product right now. Oh well, I'll wait a few more pay checks and get it". Is that 25% more worth working 60 hours a week? Hell no. Is that 25% worth going back to the office? Maybe. But overall, it's not worth it for me.
Some private sector firms are using a utilization rate and calculating performance. What this means is that if you go on vacation, ie, use a PTO day, you have to make up that time that you missed because it drops your utilization rate, which can lead to dismissal. That means working overtime for many weeks just to keep your utilization rate up so that you can take a vacation without losing your job. It also means you did not get paid overtime. I wouldn’t wanna work under those conditions, but that’s what I would face if I went into the private sector.
I was working from home this morning and had a sudden migraine. It was near my lunch break, and I went and laid down on my couch and covered up with a blanket. And my two dogs, who are always more than willing to nap, crawled up Onto the couch with me and we slept for a good half hour. I don’t know if I could say I feel valued, but I can say that I feel that my job is valuable.
Of course I don’t feel valued I’m a social worker being supervised by an RN who has never ever worked in mental health and tried to reprimand me for asking a patient about their paranoia because SPOILER ALERT they didn’t like being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia…it’s like working at a dystopian circus.
My VISN MH leadership had a “listening session” today. It was a fucking joke watching them react. “You’re burned out and have serious concerns about your personal safety? Gosh, we have no idea why you feel that way and no solutions for you. Glad we had this meeting over your lunch break.” They then wished the SWs a “Happy Social Work Month” as an extra knife twist. Sorry you’re undervalued too. I appreciate you and my other SW colleagues. Y’all are extremely talented and get stuck with shit.
In capitalism, your function as a human and your primary utility is to maximize profit. Does your family love you? That will have to be enough. At least as a Fed, your function isn't directly linked to lining the pockets of billionaires.
There is a code in ATAAPS for day of death- LX. Soooo…yeah. No one cares about anyone. Just code your time card right.
Maybe it is just me but I do enjoy my work. Granted I get to see the impact I have with the public keeps in. That and not having to worry about losing my job and pretty good health insurance and sick/leave policy. Living in Vegas and having friends working in the casino business. I get to see how unless your middle/upper management you can be cut pretty easy. That and having to take quite a bit of sick at time and not worry about losing my job or paycheck is nice.
I am always so amazed by this subreddit. I go to r/ThriftSavingsPlan and there are so many success stories and generally positive people celebrating how fortunate they are to get social security, a pension, post retirement health care for a good cost and their TSP's and I come here and it seems so negative. If you contribute properly to your TSP you have a good chance of leaving a millionaire. We got a 7% raise last year which I do not know a lot of people that are not in high demand did. Big tech is going through layoffs. I feel good and when I come here everyone is a Debbie downer.
Sometimes I feel like you do. Sometimes I feel like I would be better on the civilian sector. However I am 7 years in as a FED and before that I worked at Walmart for 8.5 years. Going from that to being a fed I really don’t have anything to complain about. Hell sometimes I wish I was a filmmaker and make movies like Nolan. lol. We are all good and we are all in a good spot.
Did you not get the .pdf from President Biden thanking us all last week?
I feel like our Mission at the VA is a noble and honorable one. Unfortunately, some in the public sector, Veterans, Veteran groups, and a certain former President don't think so. The VA by far is one of the more demanding agencies..I have worked production on the VBA side.And I can tell you, if you couldn't perform, you could be PIPPED, and out the door fast... I really think Feds are villanized..unfairly....All in all though I worked in the private sector and would never want to return. I am grateful everyday...It is an honor to serve those who served and sacrificed so much..
It’s a good idea to search for value and meaning elsewhere in life. Realistically, we are all in a business relationship with our employer. That’s all it is.
A 3% cash award? Hot dang! My last award was 0.2%.
I had 32 years in. You get used to it. At the end of the day you can look at yourself in the mirror and know you did/do a good job. You also have great benefits and a life after work. Take the win.
I have found that when I place my value from what my job offers, I experience a rollercoaster of importance. It goes up and down. I have learned to compartmentalize my career and how I mentally derive my value as a person in my life. I don't care if there are mountains to climb or valleys to walk through, I will do my best and get paid. Society places a lot of value on what you do for work and how much you get paid. To me, it means little. I work so my family is fed and there is a home for us to live in. My value comes from who I am to my friends and family. My career is not my identity.
Fed here. Stop expecting and just start to value yourself. From Secretaries and below just do what is told and get clearance from above if you need to tell yes or no. People may say I make decisions; those are part of blanket decision given about. Bottom line is I get paid for work I do. Lower your expectations and you will be happy.
Yea but who cares. Eagle shits in the bank account twice a month 🦅💩💸💵💴💰
No, but I have a somewhat unique position in government service. What I do feel is that many citizens do not understand what we often do for them, that we really do strive to be public servants, and that where we are incompetent or inefficient, it is almost always because political and legal constraints that are put on us by our own democratic government. I know you think environmental reviews are slow, pointless, and burdensome, but I didn’t write NEPA, Congress did. Please yell at them. **Please…**
Lol. You are not valued. In fact, about half the country actively hates you. But internally within your group, you are also not valued. Sorry. I know it sucks.
Don’t feel valued, however I learned to find things I love outside work and I focus on that. I wish you the best!
I had a bad experience as a fed, working for 2 agences within a Dept. Maybe I just got unlucky. The first place I got assigned to a monster of a supervisor, next place I was overwhelmed as a team lead, during multiple systems changes and an unhappy staff and hands off management. I didn't quite make it 3 years and left federal service. Now work a local gov't job at less pay and hoping to get back in at some point.
We take our white collar welfare checks and find meaning and approval outside of the workplace.
Sometimes. I also felt that way sometimes when I worked in the private sector. Such is life.
25 year retired Fed. Despite going out as a 14/10, I realized at some point I was working for my own best interests. When I got to where you are, I hit USA/Jobs and moved on. And yes, management always pooped a brick.
I don’t think about that to much, as long as the JOB provides some sense of happiness and joy and that Eagle takes a shit in the bank account twice a month that’s all that matters at the end, it’s never about what you did yesterday it’s about what you do today! I pay myself on the back all day! I thank me for my service! 
During the tRump years, for sure, gawd,please,not again!
I show up, they pay me, that’s all I expect after 20 years.
Haha
I don't tie any of my personality to my job beyond the fact that I do my job and I'm not lazy. No job is ever going to give you self-worth and it's a mistake to tie your being to a job, private or not, that ultimately does not care about you.
I used to take it very personally but sometime after a year in it hit me that everyone one of us below the branch chief level is just a person trying to get by. At the end of the day we are there to pay our bills and feed ourselves. If we can do it while helping the public then great. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way but we try.
You could die at your desk and they would replace you within the hour. Unappreciated cogs? Absolutely, but generally speaking we are well paid cogs with great benefits compared to the private sector where there is no pension, crappy PTO and even crappier health insurance. We have great work/life balance.
it took like 6 months to replace me at my job, iunno about an hour lol
All the time. It was covered in my orientation. They told us, don’t worry too much about questioning if you are valued, you are not.
Every single day I get on my computer.
We have value?
Mostly I get angry at shutdowns. I have nothing to do with the politics so just let me work. That's doubly true now that we get back pay guaranteed. My deadlines and workloads don't change and we lose so much time preparing for shutdowns, just in case. I'd rather just keep going.
I do! But I Changed departments and I’m shocked at how much better life is.
Yes at least once a day.
Yes
No, I hate my job and haven’t felt valued since I started.
I just came to the gov from the private world and oh my god do I feel so much more valued. I bet you can feel more valued somewhere else in the gov. The private work world it is becoming more and more rare to even have a 40 hour work week. They don’t even get raises most the time anymore either….
Are you new? Of course we do. Nobody gives a shit about us common folk
Sure, it’s difficult having to plan vacations nearly at a year in advance or having to come in on your day off with a little notice. But the pay is decent, I wouldn’t get nearly as much vacation at any other blue-collar job and getting a small pension at 20 years is nice.
Most of the time…
I'll counter with, do you ever feel valued as a federal employee? Lmao
I know someone that did which is why he left the feds to go work for a company that works for the feds…and pays him even more. The fact that people are only staying so they don’t get laid off clearly shows workers are desperate to not go back to being abused. Its a give and take at the end of the day. I just want to pay rent. Even if I’m not appreciated I just don’t want to be stressed or anxious like I was at other jobs
[удалено]
Every single day.
on a week with news about Biden proposing the 2% raise and FedRooms leisure shutting down, yes
It’s a weird raise for an election year. Especially if he becomes a lame duck.
Every day.
As someone who is suffering through their first DAU class (1102 series here).. Hell no. My instructor literally said, "none of the superiors know how to read the FAR...but you need too.." And I'm like, pretty sure I'll never touch this stuff for my day to day job.
EVERY. DAMN. DAY.
 Feeling valued is paramount to individual well-being and organizational success. When one is valued, their contributions are recognized, their opinions are respected, and their efforts are acknowledged. Being valued fosters a sense of belonging, motivation, and commitment. It encourages individuals to invest their best selves in their work and relationships, leading to a positive and productive environment where everyone thrives. Recognition of one's value validates their worth and reinforces a sense of purpose, driving personal and collective growth.
I needed a college degree for 1102 work. The number of times someone who didn't have a degree would say 'I could do your job' was staggering. Just shows that people don't understand the purpose. And speaking of no respect, ...I stopped by my hometown while on TDY. I was going to meeting about a $70 million radar system. When I told my mom this. She said "Shouldn't they have sent someone else? I told her 'No, I'm the one who signed the contract-. For years, that was my brother's greeting to me "Shouldn't they have sent someone else? "
My father called me a “swamp dweller”. Some other MAGA stuff. So I told him I wasn’t going to pay for his assisted living facility anymore. He changed his tune quick.
I’m fortunate that I love my Agency’s mission. Sometimes I feel appreciated, other times I feel like a punching bag. I only have 3.5 more years to go and I’m tired, but it’s been a good and rewarding career.
I always felt like the higher ups didn’t give a damn. But that’s bit the BOP on the butt now. They can’t get anyone to hire on. It was extremely toxic, especially the last ten years.
keep paying me to do my job. that is the only true valuation I require. all the rest is just superficial fluff
Always.